Agreed, but its increasingly common in the game, with players now often "congratulated" after making a mistake by opposition players.

Yep, not something I have ever liked, and if I was a manager I would be stamping that kind of thing out. Sure, celebrate with your own team, but there is no class in looking like a smarmy ###### when patting a player on his head following a knock on.

I'm disappointed with these comments as it is more like boxing build up, which I'm not convinced we should be going down that route.

Morley is a modern day legend. He went to the NRL and became a hero, has played impeccably for his country (apart from that 1 game!), and has dragged Warrington to a Cup win. He was in last year's Dream Team, short-listed for MOS, and is having another very very good season.

I wonder whether some of this has got mixed up in translation, as there is certainly a point that Morley is not the animal he was in the past, but then getting sent off after 12 seconds never helped any team. He has now become a more rounded player IMO, who still plays near the edge, but just stays on the right side of it in general. I'd rather that than him being sent off and banned every other week.

Ferriol isn't even a quarter the player Morley is now, never mind was.

Agree with most of that Dave. Sounds to me like a bit of a made up interview. Ferriol is not exactly the type of bloke to mouth off to the press - this is probably the first time that I have seen anything from him. The French are desperately trying to build up the momentum for the fans for the match given the relatively poor showing so far this year and this seems to be a fairly amateur effort.

Your last sentence however I will disagree with. Ferriol is an excellent prop forward and if he had had the opportunity or the wit to follow Morley to Australia would have had a tremendous impact.

He also has a spectacularly visible fuse.

In the South of France and fancy a banger?www.mistersaucisse.fr"Fine sausages for the discerning customer"

Agree with most of that Dave. Sounds to me like a bit of a made up interview. Ferriol is not exactly the type of bloke to mouth off to the press - this is probably the first time that I have seen anything from him. The French are desperately trying to build up the momentum for the fans for the match given the relatively poor showing so far this year and this seems to be a fairly amateur effort.

Your last sentence however I will disagree with. Ferriol is an excellent prop forward and if he had had the opportunity or the wit to follow Morley to Australia would have had a tremendous impact.

He also has a spectacularly visible fuse.

Maybe I was being overly harsh, I do like him, as I like a few of the French forwards, but it was more a reflection of the level I hold Morley at.

Ferriol did play against him a couple of weeks ago so may have more first hand experience than most as to how tough a player Morley is these days. I subscribe to the view that this could be stage managed to try and drum up interest in the semi, and may be as much about pantomime villainy as anything else, in which case good on Ferriol. EVen if not stage managed, perhaps Ferriol is concerned to draw the fire onto himself so that Sherwin can get through the game in 1 piece? It would be good to see him have a go at a big chap again. As for how good he is, rather than how hard he is, Morley looks to me like he paces himself very well these days, making the most of the dwindling number of games and hits he has left. He has been a great player and did a lot for English players' reputation at a time when the Aussies could have written us off altogether.

Ferriol did play against him a couple of weeks ago so may have more first hand experience than most as to how tough a player Morley is these days. I subscribe to the view that this could be stage managed to try and drum up interest in the semi, and may be as much about pantomime villainy as anything else, in which case good on Ferriol. EVen if not stage managed, perhaps Ferriol is concerned to draw the fire onto himself so that Sherwin can get through the game in 1 piece? It would be good to see him have a go at a big chap again. As for how good he is, rather than how hard he is, Morley looks to me like he paces himself very well these days, making the most of the dwindling number of games and hits he has left. He has been a great player and did a lot for English players' reputation at a time when the Aussies could have written us off altogether.

I'll ignore your comment about Sherwin, as I don't think we need to go down that one again , but it is definitely fair to say that Morley has changed the way he plays the game (and IMO made him a more rounded player). Sure there are fewer big hits than in the past, but then there have been fewer bans on the back of it as when he used to get it wrong, he got it spectacularly wrong!

He is still one of the top metre makers in the game (metres per carry), and his tackling technique (getting players on their back) is outstanding.

He is still more than capable of coming up with the big hits when required, see Crabtree at Wembley as an example.

I meant to put a smiley there. I thought Graham played the way on Saturday that Morley used to - at the heart of everything - but he is the only prop in SL I would place above him.

I do think that Warrington does seem to have been a good fit for Morley as much as him for us. He has had the likes of L Anderson, Westwood, Harrison etc to share some of the work and big hits, meaning that it has taken a fair bit of pressure off him. You rarely see anything flash, no fancy offloads, just good hard yards and quick ptb's.

I must admit to still being a bit frustrated by Graham. I worry that he is being over-used and they need to be careful they don't cut short his career, and tbh I prefer my props to just get stuck in and make the hard yards than do some of the stuff Graham does.

I don't doubt Graham's talent, but his actual metres per carry stat is actually pretty low, and I put that down to playing too much making him less effective than he could be. For example, Warrington's three main props all make more metres per carry than him, so for getting up-field that is what you need.

People go on about Graham being the best metre maker in the business, but he simply takes more carries than anyone else, when Morley (7.99), Korkidas (7.89), Peacock (7.36), Carvell (7.27), Fielden (7.22) and Wood (6.93) all make more per carry than Graham with his (6.85). These were selected from the top 25 metre makers (apart from Carvell - personal interest on this one).

I'd love to see Graham in a pack loaded with big forwards where he could be spelled and just do his job, rather than trying to carry the whole team.

It does depend on how you read it. My interpretation is that he's refering to 'hard' in regards to explosiveness and bg hits etc.

To quote from the opening post:

QUOTE

''Sometimes players go on too long and that is not a good thing.''

"Adrian Morley is not the player he once was. When I first watched Super League, Morley was a great player - the sort others looked up to. I am not sure that is true anymore."

"I am not saying he has nothing to offer but it is not good to see what he has become - he was once one of the hardest players to play rugby league but not any more. I am saying he is NOT HARD any more. "

I think they are poor quotes tbh, and hope they have been lost in translation. He is pretty much saying that Morley isn't a great player, people don't look up to him, and it is not goo to see what he has become. You'd think the bloke was getting battered all round the field the way Ferriol is talking. He is still one of the best props knocking around in the game, playing week in week out at the top level.

I agree about the explosiveness etc. but it doesn't read to me that he is only talking about that. He is pretty much saying that he is a spent force.

I do think that Warrington does seem to have been a good fit for Morley as much as him for us. He has had the likes of L Anderson, Westwood, Harrison etc to share some of the work and big hits, meaning that it has taken a fair bit of pressure off him. You rarely see anything flash, no fancy offloads, just good hard yards and quick ptb's.

I must admit to still being a bit frustrated by Graham. I worry that he is being over-used and they need to be careful they don't cut short his career, and tbh I prefer my props to just get stuck in and make the hard yards than do some of the stuff Graham does.

I don't doubt Graham's talent, but his actual metres per carry stat is actually pretty low, and I put that down to playing too much making him less effective than he could be. For example, Warrington's three main props all make more metres per carry than him, so for getting up-field that is what you need.

People go on about Graham being the best metre maker in the business, but he simply takes more carries than anyone else, when Morley (7.99), Korkidas (7.89), Peacock (7.36), Carvell (7.27), Fielden (7.22) and Wood (6.93) all make more per carry than Graham with his (6.85). These were selected from the top 25 metre makers (apart from Carvell - personal interest on this one).

I'd love to see Graham in a pack loaded with big forwards where he could be spelled and just do his job, rather than trying to carry the whole team.

Great post - I share the same concerns about Graham, he has the potential to be Fielden Mk2 in terms of burnout before his peak (although Stu is getting some form back this season to be fair).

Graham's workrate for Saints is phenomenal and for that reason alone he is the best prop in the league destroying all comers in the total metres stat category, but as you say his effectiveness per carry is less impressive.

Great post - I share the same concerns about Graham, he has the potential to be Fielden Mk2 in terms of burnout before his peak (although Stu is getting some form back this season to be fair).

Graham's workrate for Saints is phenomenal and for that reason alone he is the best prop in the league destroying all comers in the total metres stat category, but as you say his effectiveness per carry is less impressive.

Well I personally thought that Graham played possibly the best game I have yet seen from him, V Warrington last weekend, why: the variation he displayed.

Some of his passes were exceptional and as for a prop only proving his worth by making ' hard?' yards that is ######.The best prop I ever saw and probably player also, Brian McTigue was an exponent of the pass at close quarters, or in any other manner and I contend that Graham opened up for his TEAM and gained more yards with astute passing than any of Morley's or any of Warringtons props hard yards did.

I wondered if he did it because of Tony Smith? Why, well in the Last W/Cup comp I do not believe that Graham made a single pass certainly very few, if any. Considering his present style and especially that displayed Saturday, I thought that maybe he was showing Mr Smith were he went wrong over there and what he could really do if allowed to play a natural game.

French supporters not happy over here with allegations of "made up interview and quotes" from David Ferriol. "Last thing we need is to wind Morley up, and apologies being sent to the Warrington club" was what I heard today.

Whatever, it makes for good fun come the weekend.

As a twenty year Wire fan I'm once again torn.... A couple of weekends ago saw me punching the air and hugging l'Angelo Mysterioso when the Dragons hung on for the win against the Wolves.

Must be something in the water.

In the South of France and fancy a banger?www.mistersaucisse.fr"Fine sausages for the discerning customer"

French supporters not happy over here with allegations of "made up interview and quotes" from David Ferriol. "Last thing we need is to wind Morley up, and apologies being sent to the Warrington club" was what I heard today.

Whatever, it makes for good fun come the weekend.

As a twenty year Wire fan I'm once again torn.... A couple of weekends ago saw me punching the air and hugging l'Angelo Mysterioso when the Dragons hung on for the win against the Wolves.

Must be something in the water.

Didn't realise l'Ange was down there too.

I am also torn - a very good friend is holding his wedding on 28th August.

I can confirm 30+ less sales for Scotland vs Italy at Workington, after this afternoons test purchase for the Tonga match, Â£7.50 is extremely reasonable, however a Â£2.50 'delivery' fee for a walk in purchase is beyond taking the mickey, good luck with that, it's cheaper on the telly.